Acne

Do I have acne ? or How severe is my acne ?

You may have noticed tiny bumps on the skin of face, chest and back, some may be painful, others painless, in lots of colours ranging from white , skin coloured to red or even black . Some may or may not respond to native / home remedies and others get worsened by it. It is distributed commonly over the cheeks , in the ‘t’ area of the face and for others mainly along the jawline or the entire face. There are various grades of acne classified based on how they look, depth of the acne and the body areas present.

Should I consider treating it and why?

It's mainly a cosmetic concern. In very mild cases we can choose not to undergo treatment. In other cases yes, to prevent long term pigmentary changes and scarring. Many times, acne can be a manifestation of an underlying hormonal imbalance (eg -PCOS) in which case the direction of treatment completely changes. It would always be better to find out.

When will my acne stop? And  how long should I undergo treatment ?

Acne mainly the one occurring in the early years of life has large hormonal and genetic influence. And it may take quite a few years to resolve on its own. For some it tends to extend till their 30’s. And the treatment varies accordingly. Acne can also be  triggered or aggravated by acute stress, hormonal imbalance and  irritants which may have a different course of time. 

Will the cost of treatment be expensive?

The treatment of acne ranges from topical creams, facewash, sunscreens, oral tablets to chemical peeling, comedone extraction and lasers. The cost can be tailored to the individual's need and feasibility of the treatment plan.

Can my acne scars be treated ? What about the red and black pigmentation left behind?

Both the scars and pigmentation can be treated considerably with equal dedication from the patient side . A stepwise approach and patience can go a long way  in the eventual result. The treatment options for pigmentation include depigmenting creams, chemical peeling and lasers. The treatment of acne scars depends upon the nature of the scar. The scars can be pitted dot like scars or broader in nature (which can be superficial or deep). The very superficial scars respond to medium depth chemical peeling. Most other scars need intervention such as microneedling or resurfacing lasers.